A Message from Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 31 May 2020 18:19 PM America/Los_Angeles Our Collective Outrage A Message from Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Thomas M Priselac "As we process all of these events-and the sadness, frustration and anger about them-your commitment to our patients and to serving the community has never meant more," wrote Cedars-Sinai President and CEO Thomas M. Priselac. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. Seeing the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, I immediately felt anger and sadness at this senseless and tragic act of inhumanity. These feelings deepened as I reflected on his death not just as a single incident, but as a stark reminder of the inequities that African-Americans and other people of color still face in our country. Despite the fact that almost 250 years ago our nation's Declaration of Independence stated that everyone is created equal, racism and prejudice today remain present and palpable. It shows itself not only in the brutality of the death of George Floyd (and Ahmaud Arbery and, decades earlier, Emmett Till, to name just a few), but in all sorts of other ways. Discrimination and inequity in such areas as housing, employment, criminal justice and education remain a major plague throughout America. Inequities in healthcare also remain rampant in America, and addressing these will continue to remain a focus at Cedars-Sinai. Our nation's collective anger at these longstanding injustices has resulted in protests throughout the country over the past days, including near Cedars-Sinai on Saturday. These protests were followed by subsequent violent acts of a few, resulting in extensive damage to local businesses and people needing treatment at Cedars-Sinai. While those who engaged in violence should be held accountable, those acts by a few should not overshadow the peaceful yet strong protests of thousands earlier in the day. As an institution founded on principles of equality, inclusion and diversity, Cedars-Sinai has a longstanding role addressing these issues. In addition, for these most recent events we have begun planning a variety of ways to provide support, dialogue and engagement. As we grapple with our grief, anger and frustration about this recent tragedy and our nation's history, let each of us redouble our efforts at equity, justice and respect. -- Thomas M. Priselac President and CEO, Cedars-Sinai Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics October 05, 2022 06:13 AM America/Los_Angeles Cedars-Sinai is opening free flu vaccine pop-up clinics to help the community combat the upcoming flu season, which is shaping up to be a rough one.“We want to make it as easy as possible for people … Read more Cedars-Sinai Study Highlights Cancer Disparities in LA County September 05, 2022 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles People in Los Angeles County experience differences in cancer risk and survival depending on a variety of factors such as race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, geographic location and … Read more Q&A Advice for a Healthy Stress-Free Return to School August 18, 2022 06:01 AM America/Los_Angeles For the past two-plus years, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted children’s education and frustrated parents. Today, with the back-to-school season in full swing, Suzanne Silverstein, MA, ART, … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Our Collective Outrage Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay: Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW: Want New Omicron Booster? Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home